The centre section LABEL buttons change what is viewed on the fader strip label displays (and the label fields in the Central GUI title bar and Channel display).
Centre Section LABEL buttons

Fader Strip Labels (showing CHANNEL NAMEs)

You can choose one of the following options; each switches the labels globally across the console:

  • CHANNEL NAME = the system name for the channel assigned to the fader strip (e.g. INP 1, GRP 4, VCA 7).
  • USER LABEL = the user label given to the channel (e.g. Guest, Music, Drums).
  • INHERIT SOURCE = the user label given to the source connected to the channel (e.g. Mic 1, CD 1).

    In the current release, the IMAGE function is not supported.
    Please note: if INHERIT SOURCE is selected, but there is no source assigned, then the USER LABEL is displayed. This also applies to other channel types which do not have an input source: Aux, Group, Sum, VCA, Surround VCA or GPC.
    To make the most of user labels, here are some recommendations:
    1. Select CHANNEL NAME while preparing the console.
    This makes it easy to see which channels are inputs, groups, VCAs, etc.
    2. Select USER LABEL to see the generic label for each input channel - e.g. Presenter, Guest, etc.
    This can be useful if you want to layout the surface but do not know the final signal list.
    3. Select INHERIT SOURCE once you start assigning sources to input channels.
    This allows you to use the fader strip label to check the signal routing. For example: if the channel user labels are Comm 1, Comm 2 and Guest, and the source user labels are Mic 1, Mic 2 and Mic 3, then when you begin to route sources to channels, the fader strip label displays should update. If they don't and you see say Mic 1, Mic 2 and then Guest, you know that first two mic channels are correctly routed, but the Guest channel has no connected source. Note that for an individual source, the inherit function can be inhibited. This must be performed within the factory configuration. Please consult your console specification for details.

User Thumbnails

The IMAGE button can be used to view images instead of text labels to help quickly identify channels and sources.
1.    Start by assigning an image to each source or channel using the Thumbnail Assignment display. 
2.    Then choose your user label mode: either USER LABEL or INHERIT SOURCE.
3.    Turn on the IMAGE button to view the images globally across the console.
4.    If you touch a fader, then the image is enlarged to fill the screen.
Images assigned to source or channel

Fader touched = image fills the display

IMAGE can be enabled either globally across the console (from the centre section LABEL buttons) or individually channel-by-channel. To program the latter, open the Custom Functions display, select the Fader User Buttons, Channel Functions and then assign the option "Live View Image" to a fader user button. A second option called "Live View Fullscreen" can also be used to switch the channel's image to fullscreen view permanently, and not just when the fader is touched.

Editing User Labels for Signals

The user labels for all signals, including DSP channels, are edited from the Signal List display.

In each case, there are two labels: the full Label (used on the GUI displays) and Short label (shown on the fader strip). User labels are saved in snapshots and productions.

To open the label editor, select a signal and then the corresponding User Label button. The label editor can be positioned anywhere on the display by touching and dragging the pop-up window.

Label Editor( for Input channel 1)

  • To edit a label:

1. Type the new label into the "User Label" field (e.g. Commentator 1).
If this is the first time you have edited a label, then the "Short User Label" updates automatically. The Short Label is limited to 8 characters and so the truncation is handled on a best-effort basis.
2. If you do not like the result, then enter something different.
Short User Label (edited)


You can press TAB or SHIFT+TAB, on the console keyboard, to move quickly between the fields.

3. Press Done to confirm the new labels and close the editor.
Or, press Cancel to close the editor without making any changes.

  • To edit labels for consecutive signals:

The Auto-increment option can be used to speed up the labeling process for consecutive signals. It allows you to quickly enter the same label for multiple signals. Or, enter an auto-incrementing label such as Guest 1, Guest 2, etc.
1. Open the label editor for the first signal and enter some text into the "User Label" and "Short User Label" fields.
2. Turn on the Auto-increment Next Label option.
3. Press Next.
The new labels for the first signal are confirmed, and the editor steps down to the next signal. The contents of the previous label is carried forwards. If the label ends with a number, then this automatically increments.
4. Keep pressing Next until you reach the last signal you wish to edit.
5. Press Done to confirm and close the editor.
The screenshot below shows an example.
Auto-increment Next Label (lightbulb)

When Auto-Increment Next Label is turned off, you can use the Next (and Previous) buttons to step through the list of signals without destroying the existing labels.

  • Using Keyboard Shortcuts

Auto-Increment Next Label can be turned on using the console keyboard as follows:

  • Select the first signal and edit the labels in the usual manner.
  • Press and hold SHIFT and then press ENTER - the editor steps down to the next signal in the list, and automatically carries forward the text labels.
  • Keep holding SHIFT and press ENTER until you have labeled all the required signals.
  • Press ESC to exit the labeling mode.

You can also use CTRL+C and CTRL+V to copy and paste a label between different fields.
Or, select some text and right-click to access Cut, Copy, Paste, Delete and Select All.

Editing User Labels for Control Channels

The user labels for control channels must be edited from the Access Channel field in the Central GUI title bar. This method can be used for VCA masters, Surround VCA masters and GPCs.
1. Select the control channel (e.g. SUR S 1) - either by pressing its fader SEL button or using the Access/Assign panel.
2. Switch the centre section LABEL buttons to USER LABEL.
Centre Section LABEL buttons

3. Type the text into the Access Channel label field:

Assigning Images to Sources or Channels


The Thumbnail Assignment display can be used to assign images to sources and/or DSP channels. Once the assignments have been made, whenever the IMAGE button is selected on the centre section LABEL panel, the fader strips will show the assigned images instead of the text labels.
Note that the IMAGE button interacts with the other LABEL buttons as follows:
IMAGE + USER LABEL - shows the image assigned to the DSP channel.
IMAGE + INHERIT SOURCE - shows the image assigned to the source routed to the channel.
In each case, the image can be either a still image stored locally on the control system, or a moving image from a networked stream provider.
To check the current image assignments, open the Thumbnail Assignment display. The display can be found under the SIGNAL page options.
Example of Thumbnail Assignments

The display shows assignments from the Stream Providers (on the left) to Signals (on the right). In our example, two moving image streams (Stream #1 and Stream #2) have been assigned to two DSP channels (INP 17 and INP 18). The Preview area can be used to scroll through the available images from the selected provider, in our example from a V__Pro8.
The operation is very similar to the Signal List display. So, to edit or make a new assignment:
1.    On the left, select a Stream Provider (e.g. V__Pro8) and then an image/stream Name (e.g. Stream #2). 
2.    On the right, select a Directory, Subdirectory and then a signal (e.g. INP 18). 
3.    Press the on-screen CONNECT button, or soft key, to make the assignment - a line appears showing the "connection".
Note that making a new "connection" will overwrite an existing assignment.
4.    To remove an assignment, select the signal or signals, and press the DISCONNECT button.
You can make multiple assignments in one operation by using the SHIFT or CTRL keys on the console keyboard. For example:
1.    Press and hold SHIFT to select a block of stream Names.
2.    Press and hold SHIFT to select a block of Signals. 
3.    Press CONNECT to perform a "best fit" assignment - if there are say eight streams selected and only four signals, the first four images are assigned consecutively to the first four signals.
The CTRL button can be used in a similar manner to select multiple non-consecutive streams and/or signals.
CTRL + A will select all stream Names or Signals in a list. For example, to remove image assignments from all input channels:
1.    Select an input channel in the Signals list on the right.
2.    Press CTRL + A to select all signals in the list - they highlight in black.
3.    Then press DISCONNECT.
Saving and Loading Thumbnail Assignments
The assignments of streams to signals are saved in both snapshots and productions.
The Signals List
The columns in the Signals list have the same meaning as in the Signal List display, see Signal List Columns. So, if an image has already been assigned to a signal, you will see a red and white cross in the "connection" column.
Note that all channel types, including VCAs can be accessed via the DSP Channels Directory. If two channels are linked for stereo, then assign the image to the odd numbered channel. For surround channels, you will find the surround VCA master in the VCAs Subdirectory.
The Preview Area
This area shows all of the images or streams coming from the selected Stream Provider. Use the left and right arrow buttons to scroll through the available images or streams. If the provider is not yet connected, then the Preview area will be blank.
The Stream Providers List
Every system is delivered with an Image Stills provider which contains 18 factory-defined images:

To this, you can add your own user-defined images and/or configure a networked V__line device as a moving image provider.
 Adding User-defined Images
User-defined images can be added to the Image Stills provider by copying the image files to the "User_thumbnails" folder on the <%PRODUCTNAME%> control system. You can do this on the console using a USB memory stick and the File display. Or, from an mxGUI computer by connecting to the system and opening the File Transfer display. In both cases, the image files must meet certain requirements. These are provided in the "README.txt" file stored in the "User_thumbnails" folder:

Once you have transferred the files, refresh the Thumbnail Assignment display and select Image Stills - the new images should appear after the factory-defined images in the Preview area. If you wish to remove files from the Image Stills, then you will need to use an FTP tool such as Filezilla to access the "data -> user_thumbnails" folder. You can find more details on FTP file transfers in your Technical Manual.
 Adding a Moving Image Stream Provider
In the current release, Lawo's V__pro8, V__link4 or V__remote4 can operate as moving image stream providers. Note that each device is capable of delivering eight streams. The V__line devices must be connected to the mc2 control system via the external network, and have an IP address that resides within the same IP range as that of the mc2 system. To configure a new provider:
1.    Select Add New to open the "Add Stream Provider" window: 

2.    Complete the fields as follows:
ID Number - enter a generic ID number. This must be higher than or equal to 16. (ID 0 is reserved for the Image Stills. IDs 1 to 15 are reserved for future implementation.)
Stream Provider Type - select the device type from the drop-down menu.
Label - enter a generic user-label.
IP Address - enter the IP address of the V__ device. The standard port number = 9010.
3.    Select Add to confirm - the device is added to the list of Stream Providers:


In the current release, these settings are stored only in the system's warm start data (and not snapshots or productions). This means that if you perform a cold start, you will lose the current Stream Provider configurations. If you wish to add a V__line device as a permanent provider, the configuration must be edited at a lower level. Please contact the Lawo support department for assistance.
 Checking the Status of Streams and Providers
Beside each entry in the Stream Providers list you will see either a green or red circle:
The Stream Provider circle indicates the connection status: green = ok; red = connection error. 
The Name circle indicates the stream status: green = valid stream; red = stream is invalid.
If the Stream Provider is red, then you should check your network connections, the Stream Provider configuration (via the Edit button) and the IP settings on the remote device.
If the Stream Provider is green but one or more stream Names are red, then check the number of streams being output by the providing device.
 Managing the List of Stream Providers
The Edit and Remove buttons can be used to edit or remove an existing Stream Provider. 
Note that you cannot edit or remove the Image Stills provider as this is required to access the still images described earlier.